Isn’t it time you invested in yourself?

Isn’t it time you invested in yourself?

Here are some tips to help you protect your most important asset.

It’s easy to lose touch with yourself when you’re busy, working and trying to raise a family. But, how can you keep all those plates spinning, if you don’t look after yourself?

All too often we put ourselves last - by sleeping less and working more but this will only lead to you feeling more stressed or burnt-out.

To have a truly happy and rich life, we need to extend the definition of success to include investing in and looking after ourselves. So, here are some tips to help you get there faster.

Change the way you think

You might think multi-tasking and attempting to get ten things done at once is the key to success.But, this isn’t actually the case.

There have been many studies which have reported that switching tasks actually decreases productivity and makes it harder to focus.

So instead of trying to ‘do it all’, try tackling one job at a time and see if this proves more effective.

If you’re having difficulty concentrating try practicing mindfulness or meditation – as this will teach you to eliminate unnecessary thoughts and be in the moment. You might actually find this helps in more ways than one.

In fact, research completed last year by the University of California has revealed that meditation can help to lower stress, combat inflammation and ease depression.

While it might seem difficult at the time, unplugging for even five minutes in the morning and night could make a significant difference to your overall mental and physical well-being.

Take time to ‘unplug’

In today’s society we’re constantly ‘hooked-up’ to technology, contactable by email, text message, social media and phone. And, new products like smart watches, smart phones and tablets have made this even worse.

One in 10 Australians feel that using and ‘keeping up’ with social media is a source of stress, according to a survey conducted by the Australian Psychological Society Stress and Wellbeing in Australia (2015).

So how do we eliminate this? Simple – disconnect. While this may seem easier said than done, there are things you can do.

Firstly, banish your phone from the bedroom. Scientists from the Harvard Medical School completed a study in 2013 which found that sleep deprivation is linked to having mobile devices in the bedroom.

As if that weren’t reason enough, the last thing you need after a long day is to be contactable when you’re relaxing or sleeping in bed.

It’s all too easy to pick up your phone and start replying to emails at night when it’s within arm’s reach. So, invest in an alarm clock and say goodbye to those pesky middle-of-the-night texts or social media alerts.

Make sleep your top priority

Sleep is one of the most valuable activities you could engage in and, yet, it is also one of the most underrated health benefits.

For many years, forgoing sleep was seen as a status symbol for those trying to obtain success. But, this is no longer the case. In recent years there have been countless articles published on the importance of sleep for good health.

The Australian Sleep Health Foundation (2016) conducted a study which revealed that 33-45 per cent of adults have inadequate sleep and 17 per cent of these people have even missed work because they were too tired.

Even two or three hours less a night can have the same impact as pulling an all-nighter. Most of us lead busy lives with jam-packed schedules. So, how can we get around this?

Taking a nap, going to bed earlier or sleeping in on Sundays may not make up for lost time – but it will help you to get back on track. Even a 20 minute cat-nap can help to provide some relief.

The best thing to do, to ensure you get a sound night’s sleep, is to make your room into a haven. Make sure it’s cool, dark, quiet and comfortable.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol right before bed and ensure you have a good mattress to support your body. This is probably one of the best investments in yourself you could make.

Pursue your passions

The key to truly achieving your best is to live your passion. It isn’t rocket science to appreciate that doing what you love will lead to a happier and ultimately, more successful life.

However, people often dedicate their lives to work they don’t enjoy, thinking this will bring them career success and in turn, happiness. But this isn’t always the case.

In fact, in some cases, this can lead us to lose sight of our real passions. So, if you’ve always dreamed of owning your own business or jetting off on the holiday of a life-time maybe it’s time you put a plan in place to achieve this.

Whatever it may be, whether it’s further study or a business venture, Liberty can help you get financially ready for your journey.

To find out more about the finance options available to you click here.

It’s pretty clear that when it comes to investing in yourself, there’s no overnight fix. It’s a holistic journey of mind, body and career pursuits. But, it’s the one investment that comes with a guarantee - the extent of which will be realised when you look back on a truly rich life.